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Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and Fl Department associated with Law Enforcement (FDLE) have partnered to provide Halloween tips that encourage Floridians to make the good decisions about their health and safety while enjoying Halloween.
Candy and Treat Safety
Always keep an eye on what your child has in his or her mouth while trick-or-treating.
- Eat only factory-wrapped treats , and never eat anything homemade from strangers.
- Examine all candy for choking hazards and tampering. Illicit drug producers may target children with candy-colored pills, so parents should thoroughly check Halloween candy for unwrapped items plus suspicious packaging.
- Remain vigilant with products containing THC, CBD, or other cannabis-related products that may resemble gummies or chocolate. While some of these products can be legally purchased by adults, and ought to be properly labeled, they could be mistakenly consumed by kids if not secured properly.
- Remember: If in doubt, throw it out!
Costume Safety
- Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from a good eye care professional. While the packaging upon decorative lenses will often make claims such as “one size fits all, ” or “no need to see an eye specialist, ” obtaining decorative disposable lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. This can cause pain, inflammation, serious eye disorders, and infections, which may lead in order to permanent vision loss.
- Plan costumes that are bright and reflective . Consider adding reflecting tape or even striping to costumes plus trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
- Make sure that shoes fit well, and that costumes are short enough in order to prevent tripping, entanglement, or contact along with a heating source.
- Consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives to masks. Makeup should be tested ahead of time on a small patch of your child’s skin to ensure there are no allergic reactions.
- Avoid any sharp or even long swords, canes, or sticks as a costume accessory . Your child can easily be hurt by these accessories if he or even she stumbles or trips.
Neighborhood Security
- Report any kind of suspicious activity to local law enforcement.
- Trick-or-treat in groups , in case possible, or attend public, organized events.
- Never allow small children to visit the door without a trusted adult plus teach kids never in order to approach stranger’s vehicles.
- Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. In case kids are mature enough to be out without having supervision, these people should stick to well-lit and familiar areas.
- Only approach well-lit homes where porch or even exterior lights are upon.
- Watch for vehicles. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and become seen by drivers.
- Avoid shortcuts through back yards, alleys, or parks.
Trick-or-Treat at Home Safety
If you plan to stay home this year plus hand out there goodies to neighborhood children:
- Remove tripping hazards in order to keep your home safe with regard to trick-or-treaters . Keep the porch and front yard clear of something a child could trip over this kind of as garden hoses, toys, bikes plus lawn decorations.
- Check outdoor lights and replace any lightbulbs that are usually no longer working.
- Sweep wet leaves from sidewalks and steps to prevent anyone from slipping and falling.
- Keep pets restrained so they do not jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.
Alternative Plans
For those unable to go trick-or-treating, there are still plenty of activities to enjoy the particular holiday:
- Carving or decorating pumpkins with family members and displaying them. Children can draw a face with markers and parents can do the cutting. Think about using a flashlight or even glow stick instead of a candle to light your pumpkin. If you do use a candle, the votive candle is safest. Do not place candlelit pumpkins on a porch or any path exactly where visitors might pass close by.
- Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists associated with Halloween-themed things to look for while they will walk outdoors from house to home admiring Halloween night decorations.
Additional resources for a safe and healthy Halloween can be found on American Academy of Pediatrics , National Protection Council and Centers regarding Disease Control and Prevention .
About the California Department associated with Health
The department, nationally accredited simply by the Public Health Accreditation Board , works to protect, promote and improve the health of almost all people in Florida through integrated state, county plus community efforts.
Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook . For more information about the Sarasota Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov .